2015 Donkervoort D8 GTO
The Dutch car manufacturer Donkervoort has been plying their trade since 1978. They started off making ultra-lightweight sportscars that were clearly inspired by the Lotus Seven. Today, 37 years later, the early Lotus inspiration is still visible, but it has gradually morphed into a more modern and menacing design, and the performance is breathtaking. Donkervoort today makes some of the quickest production cars in the world.
The D8 GTO with its turbocharged 2.5 liter inline-5 engine has been in production since 2013. The Bare Naked Carbon Edition, like the name says, showcases the raw carbon fiber of this extremely lightweight car. How light? Well, there are two different versions of the D8 GTO, the Touring and the Performance. The Touring car weighs 1609 lbs, and the Performance 1532 lbs. Donkervoort claims that the visible carbon fiber actually saves 11 lbs over a painted version, so notch those numbers down to 1598 & 1521 lbs respectively.
The low weight of the GTO can only be appreciated in the context of the power output. The Touring engine produces 340 hp, and the Performance 380 horses. That gives a total power-to-weight ratio of 4.7 & 4 lbs per hp, and 0-62 mph times of 3.3 and 2.8 seconds.
| ---- Specifications ---- | |||||
| Price | -- | Production | -- | ||
| Engine | 2.5 liter Audi TFSI inline-5 | Weight | 1598 & 1521 lbs | ||
| Aspiration | turbocharged | Torque | 332 lb-ft & 350 lb-ft | ||
| HP | 340 & 380 hp | HP/Weight | 4.7 lbs & 4 lbs per hp | ||
| HP/Liter | 136 & 152 hp per liter | 1/4 mile | -- | ||
| 0-62 mph | 3.3 & 2.8 seconds | Top Speed | 158 & 167 mph |
(from Donkervoort Press Release) Donkervoort GTO Bare Naked Carbon Edition
The Donkervoort D8 GTO family continues to grow, this time with the arrival of a brand new version: the D8 GTO Bare Naked Carbon Edition. The very first Donkervoort fully fitted with visible carbon fibre – a technique in which the unique and recognizable fibre structure of the material is exposed to view – not only accentuates the high-tech, super-fast character of the D8 GTO but also reveals a bit of its ‘dark side’. The first example of this eye catcher left the Donkervoort factory in the Netherlands this week, headed for Switzerland.
The new Bare Naked Carbon Edition emphasises the high-tech, ultra-light, super-fast nature of the D8 GTO through a unique combination of lightweight visible carbon fibre components and the powerful Audi 2.5L R5 TFSI pure sport engine.
The focus for this ‘cosmetic-only’ special edition is – you guessed it – the carbon fibre. Both the exterior and interior of this GTO consist almost entirely of this super-strong, ultra-light material. The exterior, in visible carbon fibre from nose to diffuser, gives an even more mysterious, dark look to the beautiful D8 GTO. The carbon-look is also carried through to the interior, in elements such as the seats, door panels, window frame, dashboard and door sills. Carbon fibre can be found down to the smallest details in the Bare Naked Carbon Edition – even the ignition cylinder housing, belt-and-roll bar trim and headlight housings are made of visible carbon fibre.
Every Bare Naked Carbon Edition undergoes a remarkable painting process, in which a unique UV-coating is applied to each carbon fibre component by hand, in either a matte or gloss finish, or even with a colour accent of the owner's choosing. The use of visible carbon fibre components, rather than a traditional colour paint system, also results in several kilos of weight savings.
Carbon
Donkervoort's mastery of the ‘art of carbon fibre’ is well established. After all, 90% of the bodywork of every D8 GTO is made of this high-tech material and all the carbon components are developed and produced in-house. Through various collaborative relationships with partners in the aerospace industry and others, Donkervoort is not only able to employ the latest techniques and developments in the field of composites directly in its own cars but also to develop and produce parts for external parties.
New owners of the Donkervoort D8 GTO already had the option of having certain bodywork components made of visible carbon fibre. Donkervoort's ultimate goal, however, beckoned like a beacon on the horizon: a full-carbon D8 GTO. The arrival of the D8 GTO Bare Naked Carbon Edition therefore represents an important milestone in Donkervoort's nearly 37-year history.